Thanks to the Great Recession, middle income jobs that pay over $35,000 a year (the salary that makes a job "middle income" for a family of two) have been in short supply in recent years. Between 2000 and 2014, the household income of middle class workers declined by 4%. The middle class made up 50% of the population in 2015, down from 61% in 1970, according to the Pew Research Center. (You may also want to read 4 Ways Successful Middle Class Families Invest.)
Fortunately, it looks as though middle class jobs may be rebounding. The New York Federal Reserve recently released an economic analysis reporting that, between 2013 and 2015, the economy added nearly 2.3 million jobs paying between $30,000 and $60,000 per year. In contrast, between 2010 and 2013, only about 1.5 million jobs in that same pay range were created.
Where are these jobs to be found? If you're looking for a new career path, here are some possibilities that may be worth exploring.
7 Middle Income Jobs That Pay Over $35,000
Income information for each of the jobs listed below is drawn from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) Occupational Outlook Handbook for 2015. The ones included here have an income ranging from $35,000 to $54,999 and a projected growth rate of 10% or more. (For information on jobs that offer an even higher paycheck, see: Top 7 Unusual Jobs That Pay Six Figures.)
1. Electrician
According to the BLS, electricians have an excellent job outlook. In 2015, the median pay came to $51,880 per year. The typical education level required is a high school diploma or its equivalent. After that, training can entail four additional years of classroom and on-the-job training from an apprenticehip or other program, followed by licensing. Between 2014 and 2024, the number of electricians employed in the field is expected to increase by 14%, with 85,900 new jobs added.
The Bottom Line
The seven jobs profiled here are all very different, but they share a common thread when it comes to what they pay. As you can see, most of these middle income jobs don't require an extensive amount of education, which is encouraging for someone who may not have a college degree. Looking ahead, the Fed is hopeful that the trend of middle wage jobs returning will continue as the economy strengthens.
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